Operation Austin IV

Operation Austin IV was a US military operation which occurred from 1 to 18 May 1966 in Phuoc Long Province on the Cambodian border of South Vietnam.

In May 1966, US troops struggled through elephant grass, thorn bushes, bamboo, and canopies of jungle during a monsoon. They took part in a search and destroy operation, launching a helicopter assault on Bu Prang Camp on 1 May. On 11 May, after learning that four companies of NVA soldiers were planning an ambush, Lt. Col. Henry E. Emerson decided to ambush the ambushers. He ordered his men to attack, backed by massive air and artillery strikes, and 2,000 shells slammed into NVA positions. Two enemy machine guns ambushed a squad of US troops who were searching for the enemy, and squad member Mogie Crocker was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for rescuing his dying friend from the ambush. The operation concluded on 18 May, with the PAVN suffering 101 killed in action and the US losing 9 KIA.